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Dance of the Knights (Prokofiev 1935)

from mellotronworks II by Mike Dickson

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about

Mahler's music intimidates me. It has scale, it has scope, it is compositionally complex and it also uses some really odd instruments (as I suspect) just to keep the audience on their toes throughout. This type of flighty compositional notion isn;t something you might associate with a composer like Sergei Prokofiev, but you'd be surprised; in Romeo and Julie (and in Dance of the Knights in particular) he scores in a tenor saxophone. Unbelievable! That's like finding a ukelele in the middle of a Bach cantata, or an ocarina in the middle of one of Bartok's more strenuous works.

Even more unbelievably, when the original synopsis for the ballet of Romeo and Juliet was given to Sergei it had a happy ending. Happily for us this never saw the light of day as Russia's main critical publications saw this the result of degenerate modernists. When the Bolshoi took possession of the music they declared it to be 'undanceable'.

I love love LOVE this piece of music. It's unashamedly massive. It seems discordant at first, but it's not really - it's just covering a huge range (which doesn't do the Mellotron any favours, it must be said) and it plods along at the sort of pace you might expect at a Brontosaurus' hoedown, but it is scored at pesante (which is Italian for Brontosaurus' hoedown) and feels enormously imposing, as though it's setting down a challenge to anyone listening to it. The thumping chords are a real trademark of Prokofiev, demanding the attention of the audience, which may explain why so many football clubs walk onto the pitch to this music. I'd prefer it if they leapt on like Nureyev, but maybe that's my prejudice showing. Why three teams that are associated directly with Brian Clough should walk on to ballet music is a weird thing to ponder.

I've taken some liberties with arrangements for (ahem) Mellotronic tuning reasons, particularly in the third section where some of the woodwinds might not quite mesh with the subtle string voices beneath. I've also used the oboe instead of any attempt to play a tenor sax as there isn't a decent sax sound available for the Mellotron, despite there being about half a dozen candidates to choose from. Everything is upfront when it matters, and it matters often and a lot.

Nice one, Sergei.

credits

from mellotronworks II, released September 6, 2012
Instrumentation: Mellotrons M400 and Mk V Playing

Solo flute
Cor anglais (x2, treated)
Bass clarinet
Bassoon
Chamber woodwinds
Medieval woodwinds
Ian McDonald flute
Bass flute
Mk II strings (treated)
Cyndee Lee Rule viola
Louise Davis cello (treated and untreated, plus pizz.)
String section (x 2)
French horns
GC3 brass
Mk II brass (treated and untreated)
plus harp, timpani, bass drum and snare drum samples

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Mike Dickson Edinburgh, UK

Independent musician located in Scotland, producing cinematic/ambient/electronic works as and when he feels like it, for little to no fee.
Early works centred very much on the Mellotron but the palette is now much more varied.
Releases made periodically and usually frequently throughout the year. If you're listening to my stuff then I'd love to hear from you. ... more

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